The present invention relates generally to safes, and more particularly to systems and methods for providing a portable, low-cost, customizable firearm safe that provides quick, quiet and ready access to a firearm based upon sensing user specific electronic, pattern, or biometric information. The present invention further relates to an alert system whereby a firearm safe automatically generates and reports an attempted access event based upon a detection of a condition at the safe such as an access attempt, movement or audio detection, or detecting changes in a specific force of the safe. This allows the present invention to incorporate lower-cost materials due to the enhanced intelligent security of the system.
A firearm is a weapon that launches one or more projectiles at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. Firearms may include handguns, rifles, shotguns, automatic weapons, semi-automatic weapons, pistols, and revolvers. Firearms are used by various types of individuals and organizations for a wide variety of purposes. For example, a firearm may be used as a hunting tool. Further a firearm may be used as a defensive or offensive tool for military and law enforcement personnel. In some instances, a firearm is kept by a homeowner for home protection against an intruder.
Firearms are inherently dangerous and therefore require special care and handling to prevent unintended injury. Where firearms and children are present within the same home, firearm safety is especially important to prevent unintended consequences of children accessing and playing with firearms. A common practice is to store an unloaded firearm at a first location that is apart from a second location where ammunition for the firearm is stored. This practice is undesirable for several reasons. For example, this practice requires that the ammunition be retrieved and loaded into the firearm prior to using the firearm for home defense. In an emergency situation, this practice results in significant delay by requiring the user to retrieve and load the firearm. Further, this practice does not prevent access to the firearm, and therefore the firearm may be loaded by anyone having their own ammunition, or who has recovered ammunition from the storage location. Further still, great care must be taken to ensure that all ammunition is removed from the firearm following use or loading.
Another practice is place a trigger lock on a loaded firearm. For purposes of child safety, this practice generally requires that the key for the trigger lock be located apart from the loaded firearm. As with the previously mentioned practice, this practice also requires an additional step for readying the firearm for use. In particular, a user must retrieve the key and unlock the trigger lock prior to using the firearm. In an emergency situation, there may be insufficient time or access to the key, thereby rendering the firearm useless in the situation. Further, a child may locate the key and unlock the trigger lock without notice to the parent or firearm owner. Further still, this practice requires that great care be taken to put the trigger lock back onto the firearm after use. In conventional safes intended to secure weapons in homes, the safe itself is either 1) constructed of heavy and expensive materials (usually metals) to make the safe non-portable and secure, or 2) fastened to a surface to restrict portability. This is due to the lack of intelligence which requires purely physical resistance to secure the weapons.
Thus, although systems and methods currently exist for providing limited access to a firearm within a home, challenges still exist. Accordingly, it would be an improvement in the art to augment or even replace current techniques with other techniques.